Team presentation

The GSMA (a French acronym for group of molecular and atmospheric spectrometry) is a joint research unit between the CNRS and the University of Reims. The GSMA is an interdisciplinary laboratory that combines fundamental and applied spectroscopy and its application to atmospheric and planetary sciences. Roughly fifty people (researchers, teachers-researchers, engineers and technicians as well as doctoral and postdoctoral students) work at the GSMA laboratory.

Members

Academic, technical and administrative staff: 36 persons

PhD and postdoctoral students: 18

Key words

Molecular spectroscopy, spectra analysis, Fourier transform and laser diode spectrometry, molecular databases, gas monitoring, stratospheric balloons, atmospheric modelling, planetary sciences, atmospheric kinetics, COV, pesticides, ozone, effervescence, champagne.

Research topics

- Theoretical molecular physics
- Infrared spectrometry and analysis
- Laser spectrometry and applications
- Atmospheric kinetics
- Effervescence and application to champagne and sparkling wines
- Aeronomy, planetary and atmospheric sciences

Know-how

- Laser sensing for the in situ monitoring of atmospheric trace gases (stratospheric balloons, ground-based meteorological stations,…). Involvement in international stratospheric balloon campaigns (Brazil, Africa, Polar Regions) dedicated to the study of the ozone layer.
- International recognition in photo-acoustic and heterodyne detection.
- International recognition in the spectroscopy of ozone and methane. Analyses of the infrared spectrum of various molecules of atmospheric interest (O3, H2O, CH4, CO2, N2O, H3+… and its isotopologues…). Important contribution to the international molecular database (HITRAN, GEISA).
- Meso-scale and global atmospheric modelling (stratosphere, ozone layer, Titan climate).
- Accurate ab initio calculations of the potential energy, non-adiabatic coupling and dipole moment surfaces of atmospheric molecules. Prediction and global modeling of the excited rovibrational states and of the molecular absorption spectra over large temperature ranges for application in planetary sciences and astrophysics.
- Molecular dynamics (classical, semi-classical and mixed classical / quantum approaches, bifurcations and resonance effects).
- International recognition in the field of bubbles nucleation and effervescence processes applied to Champagne and sparkling wines.
- Gas desorption and dissolution in the field of oenology
- Metabolomics, global approach for the characterization of compounds of enological interest, by using NMR, ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry as well as gas chromatography.
- Determination of rate constants for elementary reactions of atmospheric interest. Elaboration of the reaction mechanism for complex reactive systems. Studies of the reactivity of pollutants (VOCs and pesticides) in homogeneous phase and condensed phase.

Partnerships

National :

ANR, DGA, CNES, INRA, CNRS-INSU, CEA, CNRM

International :

NASA (JPL, AMES), IPMET (Brasilian meteorological Insitute), Space Research Insitute of Moscow (IKI), Institute of Atmospheric Optics (IAO) in Tomsk

Industrial :

Bull, Thalès, CEA-Leti, Pommery, Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin

Academic :

Harvard, Cambridge, university of Arizona, university of Stanford, university of Princeton, Helmoltz center of Münich, university of Bruxelles, university of Corea, university of Ibn Zohr (Marocco), university of Batna (Algeria), university of Budapest, university of Giessen, university of Washington, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG, Brazil), National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM, Mexico), ENSIT (Tunis), university of Evry Val d'Essonne, university of Bourgogne, Institut Pierre Simon Laplace (IPSL), university of Bordeaux 2, university of Orléans, Paris VI university, university of Orsay, Institut Jules Guyot (Bourgogne), Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien (university of Strasbourg) …

Patents, valorization

- start-up AEROVIA (a spin-off of the laboratory that sells laser sensors based on the GSMA technologies and dedicated to the monitoring of trace gases), web site: www.aerovia.fr
- 5 patents related to laser spectrometry

Equipment

- High-resolution Fourier transform interferometer (BRUKER)
- Cryogenically-cooled optical multipath cells
- Optical multipath cell with a 50m-length allowing an absorption path length of a few kilometers.
- A large set of lasers and laser diodes (quantum cascade lasers, antimonide laser diodes, telecom laser diodes, DFG laser) for molecular spectrometry
- Balloonborne laser diode sensors for the in situ monitoring of H2O, CO2 and CH4 in the middle atmosphere.
- EcoFlux, a mobile station based on the use of a tunable quantum cascade laser spectrometer and dedicated to fluxes (N2O, CH4) monitoring by eddy-correlation
- Atmospheric chamber equipped with a GC-MS and a FT-IR
- High-speed camera